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I will never be a sommelier. Don’t get me wrong, I love wine, but I couldn’t tell the difference between a 90-point wine and a 100-point wine if you paid me. These people can stick their noses in a glass and tell you it has hints of tobacco, star fruit, and elderberry. Huh? Sometimes I wonder if they’re just making it up, but I’m sure they say the same thing about me when I write about steering feel.

The point of this rumination is that I often find myself perfectly happy with an inexpensive bottle of wine. I like how it tastes or I don’t, it has little to do with whether it came from the grocery store or a wine merchant. I feel the same way about cars like the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 60th Anniversary Convertible. I know I can spend a ridiculous amount of money on a top-shelf bottle, say a 991 911 vintage, and it’ll probably be a little smoother, taste a little better, and finish nicer. But that doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy a glass of 2013 C6 just as well.

The 427 60th Anniversary Convertible is a mix-and-match of Corvette parts. It’s not exactly a Z06 convertible, because it uses the base car’s steel frame rather than the Z06’s lighter aluminum structure. It’s not a base car in a fancy suit, either, because in addition to the Z06’s curvy, carbon-fiber-enhanced body, the 427 also borrows its superlative-inducing, 7.0-liter (427.7-cubic-inches–be quiet about the rounding, math geeks) LS7 V-8 engine and magnetic shocks. Replace the base car’s inconsistent Goodyears with a set of the Z06’s sticky Michelin Pilot Sports, and you have the closest thing you’re ever going to get to a Z06 convertible.

That’s not just hyperbole. At 3404 pounds, the 427 weighs just 151 pounds more than the Z06/Z07 we tested last year on the same tires. When you’re dealing with 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque delivered on a “curve” as flat as a pool table, 151 pounds is nothing. Just look at the numbers: The 427 hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, same as the Z06/Z07. In 60-0-mph braking, the 427 actually beat the Z06/Z07 by 1 foot, stopping in just 101 feet. The quarter mile, though, is where we really saw the difference. The 427 was just a tenth behind in the quarter, running it in 11.9 seconds to the Z06/Z07’s 11.8, but the 427 tripped the light traveling 121.5 mph while the Z06/Z07 was doing 123.4 mph. The difference was also evident on the skidpad, where the 427 posted a max of 1.06 g average to the Z06/Z07’s 1.08 g average. As you can guess, that translated to the figure eight as well, where the 427 ran a 24.1-second lap at 0.84 g average to the Z06/Z07’s 23.1-second lap at 0.90 g average. The 427, then, really is a credible Z06 convertible.

At least, that’s what it feels like behind the wheel. Anyone who isn’t a professional race car driver and tells you he can feel a 151-pound weight difference in a 500-hp car is lying. On the street, the 427 feels every bit as monstrous as the Z06. The raw power of the LS7 seems endless, and running up to its 7000-rpm redline is just asking for a visit with Johnny Law. It really is a shame that the valves in the mufflers don’t open until you’re over 3000 rpm and standing on it, because you’ll only hear that glorious engine note for a second before you’re in felony territory.

As it should, that ton of power also comes with a ton of grip and a ton of brakes. Our test car came with the standard Pilot Sport tires and steel brakes rather than the Pilot Cup tires and carbon-ceramic brakes of the Z06 Carbon Edition, but you’ll never know the difference on the street. The 427 still stops and turns better than most cars on the road, and, let’s be honest, this collector’s edition convertible isn’t likely to see any serious track time. The test crew tells me that at the limit with computers off, there’s a small margin of slip before the car comes around on you, but you shouldn’t be turning the computer off on the street in a car like this anyway. For most intents and purposes, the 427 moves just like a Z06 without a roof.

And what moves they are as you blast down an empty road, wind in your hair, engine screaming, gears slamming, steering wheel vibrating. It takes a good drive in a Corvette to understand why people love them. I’m not looking at the interior and as long as I slow down for the turns, I’m not falling out of the seats too badly. I won’t dwell on the DVD navigation, the ‘leather’ dash, and so on, either. Nothing’s going to change between now and the C7’s pending debut.

The people agree. Maybe it was the Z06 body and wheels, or the alluring silver-blue over white paint. Whatever it was, the 427 got looks even in Southern California, where people see plenty of flashy cars and even more Corvettes. Something about the Corvette resonates in the American psyche; that aspirational but still attainable vibe it exudes draws people in–even people who don’t like Chevys.

If there’s one thing I’ve heard consistently from winemakers, tasting-room managers, sommeliers, and people at the liquor store, it’s that above all, wine is meant to be imbibed and enjoyed. They also consistently point out that not all wines age well, so you’re often better off drinking it rather stashing it away somewhere for decades. The C6 Corvette has reached its zenith in the 427, and aging won’t make it any better. Uncork the roof, pour on the throttle, swirl the tires, and enjoy.

2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427

BASE PRICE

$76,900

PRICE AS TESTED

$91,320

VEHICLE LAYOUT

Front engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door convertible

ENGINE

7.0L/505-hp/470-lb-ft OHV 16-valve V-8

TRANSMISSION

6-speed manual

CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)

3404 lb (50/50%)

WHEELBASE

105.7 in

LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT

175.6 x 75.9 x 48.7 in

0-60 MPH

3.8 sec

QUARTER MILE

11.9 sec @ 121.5 mph

BRAKING, 60-0 MPH

101 ft

LATERAL ACCELERATION

1.06 g (avg)

MT FIGURE EIGHT

24.1 sec @ 0.84 g (avg)

EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON

15/24 mpg

ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY

225/140 kW-hrs/100 miles

CO2 EMISSIONS

1.08 lb/mile

Launch control: Final C6 takes off with a Corvette hero

In 2008, John Heinricy retired as head of GM’s Performance Division after playing key engineering roles in the development of the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac V-Series. He holds 11 SCCA driving championships and a sub-8 minute lap around the Nurburgring in a CTS-V. With the C6 riding into the sunset, we asked Heinricy to comment on the last iteration and prognosticate about the C7. Here’s what he told us:

I have to start out with the disclaimers. When it comes to Corvette, there are convertible customers and there are coupe customers. I am not a convertible customer. Being a bit on the lunatic performance fringe, I like to have a roof, or at least a rollcage, over my head. I think part of my bias has to do with the fact that convertible Corvettes have not been the serious top-level performers in the Corvette lineup since the C3 models back in the ’60s. Remember the 427 drop-tops of the 1967-’69 era? Those would get your blood boiling quickly. One of the first Corvettes I ever drove was a 427/435 HP tri-power four-speed convertible… in 1969!

Well, let me tell you, this 2013 427 is one serious performer. The 7.0-liter LS7 motor is my favorite Corvette motor, period. It’s lightweight, small, has a low Cg, revs to 7000 plus, and makes 505 hp. Couple this into a convertible with sticky ZR1 Michelin run-flat tires, magnetorheological shocks, six-piston brakes, variable-effort steering, carbon-fiber splitter, and other bits and pieces, and you are in for one fun, open-air ride. This 427 is bi-modal, in that it’s fairly quiet, smooth-riding, and docile – like, put-it-in-sixth-gear-at-40-mph-lugging-like-a-diesel-tractor-at-700-rpm docile — but shift down a few gears and squeeze the gas to WOT (you better squeeze, at least until the big Michelins warm up), and all hell breaks loose. The intake starts roaring, the bi-mode mufflers open up, and the rush to whatever speed limit you are dealing with comes very fast.

I do wish the 427 were more engaging during the docile part. Maybe I’ve lost too much hearing over the years, but I’d like to hear more intake and exhaust in the lower rpm, light-throttle operation. I’d like to clearly hear the engine response to heel-and-toe blipping of the throttle during downshifts. After all, it’s not a luxury performance car; it’s a sports car.

Driving this 427 Corvette reminds of how far the Corvette has advanced recently. The steering feel is remarkably improved since Delphi (now Nexteer) initiated a project to upgrade the steering gear structure and machining. I do like the feel much better in the higher effort curve of the variable effort steering, which requires the stability system to be at least in the competitive mode. The other very significant advancement is the MR shock technology. It is so fast-reacting that it is seamless. In sport mode, the added roll damping with steering and the lateral input and control in the chassis movements are instantly noticeable and appreciated. My favorite settings are Competitive mode to get the steering curve I like, Tour position on rough roads, and Sport on smoother roads, unless on the racetrack, during which I shut off stability and put MR in Sport.

While there are many who would like to see a brand-new ground-up Corvette, I’m more in favor of evolution. When I look back on the C5 and C6, I see pretty dramatic changes while working with the same basic platform. Compare a base C5 to a C6 ZR1 and you can see what I mean.

Performance is obviously super important. We have all heard about the Gen 5 V-8s coming and much has been written about double overhead cams and such, but again I’m in favor of evolution. The cam-in-block GM V-8 is such a great engine — lightweight, small in volume with low Cg, and great output — that it is still the engine of choice for me. There is plenty of technology that can be applied to improve efficiency with direct-injection, cylinder deactivation, variable cam timing and lift without making the jump to the bigger and heavier overhead cam design. So assuming you can have good efficiency and output with the Gen 5 V-8s, I would spend a great amount of time integrating the engine, transmission, and driver controls for outstanding drivability. I’d love to have a dual-clutch transmission, but it’s not a deal-breaker. Do a great job with manual and automatic transmissions, and I’ll be a happy camper.

Heinricy’s Corvette C7 To Do List:

1. Dramatic styling change. “The proportions of the wide-body C6 Grand Sport, Z06, and ZR1 models really look good and have made the base C6 obsolete, so I would start there.”

2. Significant performance improvements, especially in driving dynamics like steering feel and uneven road handling. “I would focus on improving the hardware that would help to achieve driving dynamics that are second to none, and then challenge the integration engineers to achieve it. The performance numbers have always been there, but the driving experience is where it is at for me. Of course I want it all. Steering feel, powertrain drivability, uneven road handling, high-speed stability, etc. Go after the hardware and then turn the integration engineers loose on it. Integration is what makes the car great. It’s that final 20 percent of greatness that you just can’t design in. Going after the hardware means improving the fundamentals. Structure, weight distribution, Cg height, suspension design, and steering system all enable the integration.”

3. Reduce the mass. “Although this is getting more and more difficult with regulations to meet.”

4. Upgrade the interior, steering wheel, and seats, yet package for customer friendliness. “I drove the 427 to the SCCA runoffs with a passenger, my driving equipment, clothes for a week, two computers and data acquisition gear, and was still very comfortable in the cockpit. How many convertible sports cars can do that? For that matter, how many coupes can?”

5. Corvette has been so successful at the value proposition. Keep doing it.

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